Device for determining the center of gravity and/or the weight of airplanes

Claim 1

A system for successively determining the coordinates of the center of gravity and/or the weight of an airplane comprising: at least one analog computing circuit with an operational amplifier and with pressure-responsive resistor elements disposed in the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear of said airplane, said elements converting the load dependent forces arising in the landing gears into load-dependent electrical resistance values, and a switching circuitry comprising at least one first, second and third potentiometers, each mounted on one of the said three gears respectively of the airplane for displacement in conformity with the bearing load of the respective landing gear; a fixed resistor; a first switching means to switch in said first potentiometer into the negative feedback circuit of said amplifier, and the first and second potentiometers in the series resistance of said amplifier, to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the longitudinal axis of said airplane; a second switching means to switch in said third potentiometer into the feedback resistance and said first and second potentiometers into said series resistance, to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the axis of the airplane; and a third switching means to switch in said first, second and third potentiometers into said feedback resistance and said fixed resistor into said series resistance, to determine the total weight Of said airplane.

Claim 2

A system for successively determining the coordinates of the center of gravity and/or the weight of an airplane comprising: at least one analog computing circuit with an operational amplifier and with pressure-responsive resistor elements disposed in the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear of said airplane, said elements converting the load dependent forces arising in the landing gears into load-dependent electrical resistance values, and a switching circuitry comprising at least one first, second and third potentiometers, each mounted on one of the said three gears respectively of the airplane for displacement in conformity with the bearing load of the respective landing gear; a fixed resistor; a first switching means to switch in said first potentiometer into the negative feedback circuit of said amplifier, and the first and second potentiometers in the series resistance of said amplifier, to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the longitudinal axis of said airplane; a second switching means to switch in said third potentiometer into the feedback resistance and said first and second potentiometers into said series resistance, to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the axis of the airplane; and a third switching means to switch in said first, second and third potentiometers into said feedback resistance and said fixed resistor into said series resistance, to determine the total weight Of said airplane.

Claim 8

A system for determining the center of gravity and/or the weight of airplanes, with pressure-responsive resistor elements disposed in the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear, the elements constituting components of an analog computing circuit, the elements converting the load-dependent forces arising in the landing gears into load-dependent electrical resistance values, the circuit comprising: a countercoupled operational amplifier having an element associated with one of the main landing gears connected as a negative feedback resistor, the amplifier being fed via a series resistance with a constant input voltage, the series resistance including load-dependent resistances of both main landing gears when the distance of the center of gravity from a longitudinal airplane axis is determined; an element associated with the nose wheel gear connected as a negative feedback resistor and the series connection of the resistances of both main landing gears and of the nose wheel for the determination of the distance of the center of gravity from a transverse airplane axis; and the negative feedback resistance including the load-dependent resistances of both main landing gears and of the nose wheel for determining the total weight, the series resistance being constant, a first switching means to switch in succession said first potentiometer into the negative feedback circuit of a countercoupled operational amplifier, and the first and the second potentiometers in the series resistance of said amplifier, to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the longitudinal axis of said airplane; a second switching means to switch in succession said third potentiometer into the feedback resistance and said first and second potentiometers into said series resistance, to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the transverse axis of said airplane; and a third switching means to switch in succession said first, second and third potentiometers into said feedback resistance and said fixed resistor into said series resistance, to determine the total weight of said airplane.

Claim 9

A system for determining the center of gravity and/or the weight of airplanes, with pressure-responsive resistor elements disposed in the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear, the elements constituting components of an analog computing circuit, the elements converting the load-dependent forces arising in the landing gears into load-dependent electrical resistance values, the circuit comprising: a countercoupled operational amplifier having an element associated with one of the main landing gears connected as a negative feedback resistor, the amplifier being fed via a series resistance with a constant input voltage, the series resistance including load-dependent resistances of both main landing gears when the distance of the center of gravity from a longitudinal airplane axis is determined; an element associated with the nose wheel gear connected as a negative feedback resistor and the series connection of the resistances of both main landing gears and of the nose wheel for the determination of the distance of the center of gravity from a transverse airplane axis; and the negative feedback resistance including the load-dependent resistances of both main landing gears and of the nose wheel for determining the total weight, the series resistance being constant, a first switching means to switch in succession said first potentiometer into the negative feedback circuit of a countercoupled operational amplifier, and the first and the second potentiometers in the series resistance of said amplifier, to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the longitudinal axis of said airplane; a second switching means to switch in succession said third potentiometer into the feedback resistance and said first and second potentiometers into said series resistance, to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the transverse axis of said airplane; and a third switching means to switch in succession said first, second and third potentiometers into said feedback resistance and said fixed resistor into said series resistance, to determine the total weight of said airplane.

Claim 15

A system for successively determining the coordinates of the center of gravity and total weight of airplanes with pressure-responsive resistor elements disposed in the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear, the elements constituting components of analog computing circuits, the elements converting the load-dependent forces arising in the landing gears into load-dependent electrical resistance values, said pressure-responsive resistors being a first and a second pressure-responsive resistor element mounted on one main landing gear, a third pressure-responsive resistor element mounted on the other main landing gear, and a fourth and a fifth pressure-responsive resistor element mounted on the nose wheel gear; further comprising one operational amplifier having a negative feedback circuit; switching means to switch in said second pressure-responsive resistor element into the negative feedback circuit of said amplifier and said first and said third pressure-responsive elements into the series resistance of said amplifier for providing an analog computing circuit to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the longitudinal airplane axis; switching means to switch in said first, said third and said fourth pressure-responsive resistor elements into the series resistance of said amplifier and said fifth pressure-responsive resistor element into the negative feedback circuit of said amplifier for providing another analog computing circuit to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the transverse airplane axis; and switching means to switch in a fixed resistor into the series resistance of said amplifier and said first, said third and said fourth pressure-responsive resistor element into the negative feedback circuit of said amplifier for providing an analog computing circuit to determine the total weight of the airplane.

Claim 16

A system for successively determining the coordinates of the center of gravity and total weight of airplanes with pressure-responsive resistor elements disposed in the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear, the elements constituting components of analog computing circuits, the elements converting the load-dependent forces arising in the landing gears into load-dependent electrical resistance values, said pressure-responsive resistors being a first and a second pressure-responsive resistor element mounted on one main landing gear, a third pressure-responsive resistor element mounted on the other main landing gear, and a fourth and a fifth pressure-responsive resistor element mounted on the nose wheel gear; further comprising one operational amplifier having a negative feedback circuit; switching means to switch in said second pressure-responsive resistor element into the negative feedback circuit of said amplifier and said first and said third pressure-responsive elements into the series resistance of said amplifier for providing an analog computing circuit to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the longitudinal airplane axis; switching means to switch in said first, said third and said fourth pressure-responsive resistor elements into the series resistance of said amplifier and said fifth pressure-responsive resistor element into the negative feedback circuit of said amplifier for providing another analog computing circuit to determine the distance of the center of gravity from the transverse airplane axis; and switching means to switch in a fixed resistor into the series resistance of said amplifier and said first, said third and said fourth pressure-responsive resistor element into the negative feedback circuit of said amplifier for providing an analog computing circuit to determine the total weight of the airplane.

Claim 17

A system for simultaneously determining the coordinates of the center of gravity and/or the weight of airplanes, with pressure-responsive resistor elements disposed in the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear, the elements constituting components of analog computing circuits, the elements converting the load-dependent forces arising in the landing gears into load-dependent forces arising in the landing gears into load-dependent electrical resistance values, comprising an analog computing circuit for determining the center of gravity with respect to a longitudinal airplane axis, said circuit including an operational amplifier supplied with a constant input voltage via the serially connected resistances of the both main landing gears, said amplifier having a resistance associated with one of the both main landing gears connected as a negative feedback resistor across the amplifier; a further analog computing circuit for determining the center of gravity with respect to a transverse airplane axis, said circuit including an operational amplifier supplied with a constant input voltage via the serially connected resistances of both main landing gears and of the nose wheel gear, said amplifier having a resistance associated with the nose wheel gear connected as a negative feedback resistor across the amplifier; and an analog computing circuit for determining the total weight of an airplane, said circuit including an operational amplifier supplied with a constant input voltage via a constant resistor, said amplifier having a resistance associated with the nose wheel gear and the main landing gears connected in series as a negative feedback resistor across the amplifier; and each of said resistances included in each of said computing circuits being attached to the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear, respectively, except for said constant resistor included in said third computing circuit.

Claim 18

A system for simultaneously determining the coordinates of the center of gravity and/or the weight of airplanes, with pressure-responsive resistor elements disposed in the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear, the elements constituting components of analog computing circuits, the elements converting the load-dependent forces arising in the landing gears into load-dependent forces arising in the landing gears into load-dependent electrical resistance values, comprising an analog computing circuit for determining the center of gravity with respect to a longitudinal airplane axis, said circuit including an operational amplifier supplied with a constant input voltage via the serially connected resistances of the both main landing gears, said amplifier having a resistance associated with one of the both main landing gears connected as a negative feedback resistor across the amplifier; a further analog computing circuit for determining the center of gravity with respect to a transverse airplane axis, said circuit including an operational amplifier supplied with a constant input voltage via the serially connected resistances of both main landing gears and of the nose wheel gear, said amplifier having a resistance associated with the nose wheel gear connected as a negative feedback resistor across the amplifier; and an analog computing circuit for determining the total weight of an airplane, said circuit including an operational amplifier supplied with a constant input voltage via a constant resistor, said amplifier having a resistance associated with the nose wheel gear and the main landing gears connected in series as a negative feedback resistor across the amplifier; and each of said resistances included in each of said computing circuits being attached to the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear, respectively, except for said constant resistor included in said third computing circuit.

Claim 19

A system for automatically and continually determining the total weight of an airplane, the system having pressure-responsive resistor elements operatively connected to the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear of an airplane, the elements converting the load-dependent forces arising in landing gears into load-dependent resistance values, the circuit comprising an operational amplifier having serially connected feedback resistors connected thereacross including those of both main landing gears and that of the nose wheel gear, and a constant resistor connected to the amplifier input.

Claim 20

A system for automatically and continually determining the total weight of an airplane, the system having pressure-responsive resistor elements operatively connected to the main landing gears and the nose wheel gear of an airplane, the elements converting the load-dependent forces arising in landing gears into load-dependent resistance values, the circuit comprising an operational amplifier having serially connected feedback resistors connected thereacross including those of both main landing gears and that of the nose wheel gear, and a constant resistor connected to the amplifier input.